Between The Lines

A group of local performers
are putting themselves on the line this summer in a show for
the 2014 Fringe Festival. Between the Lines features a giant
Hill’s Hoist, the iconic washing line found in the
backyard of many NZ homes. A mixture of circus artists,
dancers and actors are using their various skills on the
washing line to hang, spin, dance, stand and balance on,
turning a childhood past time into a visually stunning,
theatrical performance.

“Almost everyone I know who grew
up in New Zealand remembers swinging on a washing line as a
kid, whether it was in Nana’s garden, the neighbours
backyard, or at their own home” says the show’s creator
Tess Munro Pedreros. “Plenty of people have told me how
they remember playing on a Hill’s Hoist and also the
trouble they were in when they broke them. I used to pretend
our neighbours’s was a kind of time machine so when you
swung off you’d be in another dimension."

Tess recently
returned from Kathmandu where she volunteered for three
months as a circus trainer for Nepal’s first contemporary
circus company, Circus Kathmandu. “My role there was to
codevise, direct, choreograph and produce the company’s
first international show. Being a part of that process gave
me the confidence I needed to start developing my own show
here in New Zealand. I’ve been writing funding
applications ever since I came back and it’s been a huge
learning curve.” The show has a fundraising effort on
givealittle, with funds going towards building the washing
line, paying performers and other production
costs.

Between the Lines appeals to the child in everyone
on a nostalgic level and to the adult in everyone on a
thematic level. The show explores the idiosyncrasies
revolving around clothing and laundry such as the unique
ways that people hang out their clothes. In one scene a
female character wrestles with her apron's never ending
strings and in another people wring out wet washing, making
rhythmic, percussive splashes accross the performance space.
The stages of a laundry cycle: dirty, wash, rinse, spin,
clean and dry, are also used as a metaphor for the phases
people go through during times of emotional upheaveal and
ultimately renewal.

The show blends circus with theatre
and dance, creating a dynamic, cohesive work.

Currently,
circus within New Zealand is viewed very traditionally,
conjuring images of big tops and clowns, ringmasters and
popcorn, acrobats and sequins.

The theatrical use of
circus skills is an exciting avenue that is beginning to be
explored here. “Traditional circus is entertaining, whilst
theatre is engaging. We want to bring circus into a
relatable realm where audiences recognise moments of
everyday life. When the idea of a giant washing line popped
into my head, I felt I had found something exciting that
everyone can identify with."

The Koha show will take place
in Glover Park, outside Rogue & Vagabond at 6pm on the 8th,
9th, 15th and 16th of February. For more information check
the facebook page https://www.facebook.com/betweenthelinesnz
and to make a donation see
http://www.givealittle.co.nz/cause/betweenthelines

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